Roll-top cover for dumping vehicles



Dec. A193?. T. Nou-:N x-:TAL 1,784,243-

ROLL TOP COVER FOR DUIPING' VEHICLES I l Filed Feb. 5, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1930. T. Nou-:N ET AL ROLL COVER FOR DUMPING VEHICLES Filed Feb- 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 9, 1930 f UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRULY NoLEN AND JOHN c TRUEMPER, or INnIANAroLIs, INDIANA, AssIeNons To -HIGHWAY TRAILER. coMrANY, or EDGERTON, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION F WISCONSIN ROLL-T01? COVER FOR. DUMPING VEHICLES Application med :February 5, 1927'.` serial No. 166,115. K

This invention relates to dumping vehicle bodies adapted for use in garbage and ash collection and similar purposes, and the invention is directed to means for covering such a body when the body itself is mounted for tilting or rolling tordischarge its load, one object ofthe invention being to provide a cover of such light weight or so, mounted in relation to the body that it will not interfere with the normal tilting movement. Such a cover is required to substantially close the space above the body in order-to exclude flies from the contents and to prevent spillage and dissemination of unpleasant odors. An-

l5 other object of the invention is to provide a ofthe Vvehicle structure diagrammaticallyand parts in section. v

Figure 3 is a partial side lelevation of the covers and supporting and operating means therefor.

Figure 4 is a detailed section taken axially through one of the rollers.

Figure 5 is aV detailed end elevation show'- ing a roof orcover member for rollers.

Figures 6 and 7 are detailed elevations of a modified form of locking device for the end cover plates, showing the device respec- 49, tively in ,closing and opening position.v

As shown in the drawings, thetrailer vehicle chosen for purposes of illustration comprises four wheels,1, supporting a drop frame having lower members, 2, with upper members, 3, at its ends connected to the klower members by plates, 4, and extending over the axles, and springs, 5, associated with thel wheels, 1'.v At one or bot-h ends a suitable draw bar, 6,' is Yprovided for` connection with lo a motor truck or team of horses. Seats, 7, 7,

are ,shown at each end of the vehicle for 'the driver or operator, and cross rails, 8, 8, mounted on the frame members, '2, support the curved rockers, 9, 9, which are attached to the hopper body, 10, to permit it to roll laterally for discharging its load. This construction is merely typical of vehicles adapted for the use indicated.

The hopper body, 10, is upwardly open and in order to support the covering means of this invention independently of the body, 10, so that it shall not interfere with its rolling movement, we provide an upright framef work at each end of the vehicle which consists preferably of a pair of tubular members, 11, shown converging upwardly for connection by a plate, 12. The plates, 12, provide journal bearings fortwo pairs of awningy rollers, 18a and 13b, respectively, the rollers, 13, being mounted directly above the rollers, 131.y Each of the rollers is tted at one end with aiianged pulley or drum, 13C, on which is wound a flexible cable, 14, or the like, supportinga weight, 15, which is slidable up and downin one of the tubes, 11.

Each roller also supports a flexible curtain roller in the proper direction for winding up n the curtain, 16, and furnishing a yielding re sistance against which it is unreeled to serve as a cover 4for the body, 10. Vhen thus drawn ,down to meet. the Hange, 18, at the edge of the body, the end of the curtain, reenforced'by the rod, 17, may be fastened b) hooks, 19, which are spring-pressed down'- wardly against the ilange,`18,'by springs."

19a, on the stems of the'hooks, as seen inV Figure2.

VThe curtains, 16, on the upper rollers, 13a,

Y length of'. the vehicle.

are rolled so as to feed off the lower side of the roller, while the curtain on the lower rollers, 13", feed off the upper side of the roller and each curtain is slightly longer than lhalf the lengthof its roller. Thus at each side of the body there are two curtains, one extending from the roller, 13b, and the other from the upper roller, 13a, adapted to slant downwardly in substantially the sameplane and slightly overlapping at t-he middle of the curtains at the near side of the body raised,

whilefthe two curtains at the far kside of the body are shown drawn down in engagement with the body flange, 18, f

The body, 10, has end walls, 10, but these wallsdo notextend as high as the curtain rollers; therefore, tocomplete the enclosure,

we' provide end plates, 20, attac-hed by hinges,

21, to supports, 22, carried Lby the tubes11, at each end of the vehicle. shaft, 23, ,extends horizontally in bearing brackets, 24', on the tubes, 11, and has an arm, 25, preferabl formed with a cani-shaped end upright at 26, adapte toV press against the cover plate,

20, forcing it into closeengagement with the upper edge of the end wall, 10a. Handles, 28, are provided at both ends of the rock shaft, 23, vand a stop lug, 29, on the plate, 20, limits the'enclosin movement. A fiat spring arm,

f 30, anchore 'on the support, 22, and attached at its lower end to the cover plate, 20, tends to swing the plate open when the pressure of the cam face, V26, isrelieved by turning the.

rock shaft, 23, so that the plate, 20, will not interfere withthe rolling movement of the body, A10,'ink discharging ltsload.r When the` bod 'is to'befdumped the curtains, 16,- are pre erably released from the hooks, 19, and raised cleark of the path of the body by the action of".thelcounter-weights, 15, in the v, tubes, A1l.

y saving of time, the covers onthe yside of the body f opposite the direction in which the l body is to be dumped', may remain connected However, as'a matter of convenience and to theedge of the body during the dumpingV o the. body movesl upwardly (durin t e early part of the dumpingmovement thel coversvwill begrvaduallywoundrup on their rollers by Vthe cables, 15, and counterweights, 16,and as said edge of the body passesbeyond ythe'rollers the covers arepaid out an amount corresponding to the extent of movement of theledge of'they body, underf the control of their(l cables and weights. Asis apparent, the paying in and out of the covers during the.v

KVdumping,movement of the bodyprotects them againstA` possible damage, Vand at `the sametime'causes them to act as a snubber,

tending to check the body as it approaches its extremey'positions. Y Y

In the collection of garbage or ashes Vthe load is usually picked up in small quantities t"Figure 1 Ashows both I rock,

operation. It will be clear ythatfas the ed e,4

lected, all the covers may be closedr until arrival at the point of disposal.

Figure 4 shows the preferred construction for the curtain rollers in which the flanged pulley, 13C, is formedl'with a hub which fits snugly into a sheet metal tube, 13", which constitutes the roller forl the curtain. At the other end of the tube ka cylindrical, filler, 13e,

isk inserted; ,bearing` spindles are" provided in 'the form 'of lshort sectionsofpipe, 13",

secured' in the filler, 13e, and in the'fpulley and projecting from `the endsof these parts for support` in thebearing plates 12. The assembledparts at each end of the roller may Lbe secured by riveted cross pins 31, and Cotter pins 32 are shown for retaining the spindles in position in the plates l2.

As indicated in Figures 1 and 5,'a central .roof or cover, 33, may be providediover the rollers extending longitudinally between the bearing plates 12 and supported-'fromsaid plates by any suitableform of brackets, 34. To avoid any tendency yof this cover member to sag, it may include a T-rail arranged with its medio flange'35 extendingupwardly be-l tween the'two pieces, of which the cover 33 is .composed and which are unitedV` by secure.- ment to the web of said rail.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate anraltern'ativer formof lookin means for the end plate 20 in which a roc shaft, 23, isy providedwith thepcam ended arm,25, already described, but' has in addition a chain, 40, connected at one end Vto the cover 20 and at the other end Vto the shaft 23 so that when'the shaft is turned in the direction vfor releasing the cam 26, yit will wind up the chain (10 and thusV positively pullthecover 20 away from the end wallof thebody. 'Y t We claim:

1,1 In a vehicle ofthe type described, in-

cluding an upwardly open body and a frame on which it is tiltabl mounted, a plurality of rollers extending ng'itudinally over the body and'fsupportingmeans therefor up standing from the frame beyond the ends of the body,said"suppo`rting means including tubularupright members, fiexible covers y wound on the rollers respectively, adapted to` extend over the body, and yielding means 'for turning each roller in the direction for wind-v ing up its cover, comprising a weight guided for up-and-down movement in one of the tuc bular uprights, and a flexible coitin'ectorex-- tending from the weight around theroller.

2.4 In combination, withan upwardly open vehicle body, flexible covering] means therelasA for comprising a plurality of rollers extend ing longitudinally over the body, one of Vsaid rollers being mounted directly above another, a flexible curtain Wound on one roller dimensioned to extend over a part of the length of the body, a flexible cover Wound on the other roller dimensioned to extend over a different part of the length of the body, the adjacent marginal portions of said Covers being arranged to overlap each other when the covers are unwound, the cover of the upper roller unwinding from the under side thereof and the cover of the lower roller unwinding from off the upper side thereof, whereby said overlapping marginal portion Will lie closely adjacent the same plane for Contact With each other.

3. In a vehicle which includes an upwardly open body and a frame on which it is tiltably mounted, supports extending up from the frame beyond the ends of the body, rollers carried by said supports above the body, flexible covers Wound on said rollers respectively and extensible by unwinding toward opposite sides of the body, together With end plates for completing the enclosure, supported on said uprights in substantially vertical planes adjacent the ends or" the body, said end plates being movable into and out of engagement With said ends, and manually operable means on the supports for so moving them.

Executed at Indianapolis, Indiana, under date of January iifteenth, 1927.

TRULY NOLEN. JOHN C. TRUEMPER. 

